Toboggan



(No Model.)

J. C. LESLIE.

TOBOGGAN. No. 350,066. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

flmmw 541 iJNiTnn STATES ATENT Tries.

JOSEPH (l. LESLIE, OF ST. ATJEANS, Vl lR-llIOX'l.

TOBOGGAN.

M'JQQII'ICiTIOZJ forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,066, dated September 28, 1886.

Application tiled February 9, 1996. Serial No. 191,319. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. LESLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Albans, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in lloboggans, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of a toboggan, by which it may be strongly braced longitudinally without atfecting its elastic qualities, and its speed may be greatly increased, if so desired, by the attachment of removable shoes or runners, which can be easily and cheaply made, but slightly increase its weight, readily adjust themselves to any change of surface which the toboggan may assume, and do not require any alteration in the ordinary flat toboggan.

in the drawings, in which similar letters indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toboggan embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the toboggan. Figs. 5, 6 are also detail views.

A is the ordinary ilatbottom tohoggan, constructed of a single wide or a series of narrow flat st rips, the edges of which, when. narrow strips are used, touch each other as they are laid side by side. The forward or front end, I is curved or bent in the usual form, and firmly held in position by gut or wire attachments in the ordinary manner. The toboggan is thoroughly braced and strengthened transversely by cleats U G, which are rigidly secured to the wide or the narrow strips by suitable screws, rivets, or other fastening device.

1) D are eye-headed screw-bolts or screweyes, the lower ends of which are firmly secured to the cleats O G on either side of the sliding surface of the toboggan. The apertures d (I in their upper extremities are of sutiicient size for all the side rails or bars, E E, to be passed through them for the purpose of bracing the toboggan longitudinally. Af-

- ter the side rails, E E, are passed through the eyes (7 17 in the series of bolts D D on each side of the toboggan, they are rigidly secured to but one of the bolts D, preferably the central one, thereby in no way preventing or limiting the ready yielding of the toboggan to any force which may temporarily bend or twist it in any direction, inasmuch as the rail is free to turn or move longitudinally in the apertures or eyes (I d of each bolt D D, except the one to which it is secured, which, being in the central part of the toboggan, becomes a pivot upon which the rail moves. By this form of construction the toboggan is as thoroughly braced longitudinally as it would be .if the rail were secured to each clcat U C in the ordinary way, while its perfect elasticity, so important to its success and durability, is in no way affected.

\Vhenever it may be desired to increase the speed of the toboggan by narrowing the sup porting-surface of the weight upon it, I. provide removable shoes or runners F F, which may be properly adjusted to the bottom of the toboggan by means of a countersunk bolt in the shoe, which is designed to enter and pass through the cleats O O, to which it is secured by a thumbnnt on the upper end of the bolt. These shoes are narrow, and cheaply made by finishing them while straight, then bending one of their ends to conform to the outside of the front curve of the toboggan. They are intended to extend the entire length of the sliding surface of the toboggan, the two forward end fastcnings on the curves being made rigid, the remaining bolts passing through longitudinal slots or recesses f f in the cleats C O on the sliding surface, to allow the shoes F F to adjust themselves automatically to any longitudinal bending or twisting of the toboggan. By this arrangement the perfect elasticity of the toboggan is preserved, and the removable shoes can be conveniently attached in such position that they will best contribute to the end desired, whatever the width of the toboggan may be, thus constituting them an important adjunct to the efficicncy of the apparatus without in any way affecting its elasticity. By turning oft" the thumb-nuts a perfectly-flat sliding surface is obtained, so desirable when the ice or snow is soft or easily out \Vhatl claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a toboggan, the shoes F F, removably attached to the under side of a toboggan by means of adj ustablc bolts, the forward attachment being rigid, the remaining bolts passing through longitudinally-slotted recesses in the bottom and cleats O O, substantially as described and for the urpose set forth. 4

2. In combination with a toboggan, the re- JOSEPH E XVitnesses:

CHARLES E. ALLEN, NATHAN J EWETT.

In testimony whereof I do affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

' 5 movable shoes F F, attached to its sliding surface so as to permit its free longitudinal movement, substantially as specified. 

